Village democracy, Mendha style

A nondescript Maria Gond village in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, can offer a lesson to urbanites on how to run a functioning democracy.

Simply Put: Conserving forests or rules?

Give more power to local bodies

Tribal turmoil

Upbeat about the restoration of ownership rights, Gadchiroli tribals march towards self-governance

Panchayat power

Consolidating grassroots democracy -- a strident demand by the people

We will protest against mining through gram sabhas: Lalasu Nogoti

Lalasu Nogoti is a lawyer and human rights activist from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. He was recently elected as a zila parishad member from Arevada-…

People's power

Good bye, people's planning

The programme had little place in the debates of the recent Kerala panchayat elections

Bill must ensure power to the people

The political debate on the Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalika bills does not address the issue of giving power to the people so they can take …

For the people

Grassroot bodies should pressurise the state government to effectively implement the new Act on tribal self-rule passed by the Centre

Stillborn law

Leaves tribals power-starved

Divisive move

Attempted panchayati raj reforms in Madhya Pradesh

Gram sabha empowered

Anna Hazare's relentless crusade leads to ordinance granting more powers to the gram sabha in Maharashtra

Recall rights

Gram sabhas and bureaucrats slug it out in Maharashtra

Goa disbands panchayats

Power 'em

More power for villages and people will ensure better governance and less corruption

Power cut

Maharashtra's decentralisation plan gets derailed even before it can take off

People power

Kerala launches a movement -- of the people, by the people, for the people. Whether the movement will stand the test of time is yet to be seen,…

Puppet power

Gyani Baba (wise saint, literarily), a seven feet-tall puppet with handle moustache, is up for a big task in Rajasthan's Ajmer district. He is …

Children's swaraj

Karnataka turns governance into child's play with kids' assemblies

More land for landless

Proposed change in land law may cause inter village disputes

Implementing PESA Act in Jharkhand is not an easy task

The Act recognising the right of tribal communities in Scheduled Areas was enacted in 1996. Despite being formed 22 years ago, Jharkhand is yet …

Odisha villagers, forest department at loggerheads over rights to sell kendu leaves

Can Odisha government deregulate kendu leaf trade with support mechanisms to facilitate private trade beneficial to communities?

Return of the woods

Two decades of toil have given back to Seed village in Udaipur a forest that villagers felt had been destroyed forever

Community forest resources: Sustainable use, state norms must

No guidelines for gram sabhas to conserve or manage forest areas so far